


Welcome to the Jungle

by secretlyshipping



Category: Jungle Book (1967)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Drug Use, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Social Work AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-27
Updated: 2014-11-28
Packaged: 2018-01-20 22:42:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1528358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/secretlyshipping/pseuds/secretlyshipping
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A humanized Jungle Book fic. Bagheera's relationship with his boyfriend Shere Khan is on the rocks, and his best friend Baloo just wants him to be with someone who will treat him right. Bagheera's past inspires him to help others. This fic is a humanized retelling of The Jungle Book, so it will follow fairly closely to the original plot, with a new twist. Slash. M/M. Rated M for language, mentions of drugs, abuse, and attempted rape. Bagheera x Shere Khan. Bagheera x Baloo.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: Mentions of drugs. Moving this over from my account on fanfiction.net~

Bagheera let out a long sigh and walked faster, heading home after a long day at work. Double shifts at the diner as a busboy were rough, but worth it. He needed the money to pay the bills while his boyfriend kept looking for a new job.

He undid a button on his shirt and ran his fingers through his hair in an attempt to relax some. All he wanted was to come home to his boyfriend's open arms and feel the stress melt away as Shere Khan held him tight.

That might be a bit much to hope for, though. Khan was anything but cuddly. He was much more similar to a prickly pear than a teddy bear. When they first got together, Bagheera's friends were sure he just had the hots for the "bad boy", but Bagheera saw passion in him which he thought he'd be able to coax out.

Yet, after living together for 3 months, he had yet to see any more than that first glimmer. Perhaps he had been imagining things? The only passion he saw was the anger in his voice when the two argued, which, unfortunately, happened fairly often.

He unlocked the apartment door and walked in. Once the barrier of the door was gone, he heard Shere Khan speaking in a low voice from the kitchen and another whimpery voice reply. The other voice held his "s"'s just long enough for Bagheera to identify him. It was Kaa, one of the acid heads whom Khan regularly sold to.

When they heard Bagheera's footsteps coming closer, the two looked up at him, ceasing their conversation until he walked away. Bagheera frowned and went to his room, changing into more comfortable clothes. When he'd changed into a t-shirt and jeans, he returned and just heard Kaa saying as he left, "Send my regards to the misssusss."

"I'll tell Bagheera you said hello." Khan's promise was unneeded as Bagheera's yellow eyes met Kaa's; heterochromia with one blue and one brown, but both with heavy bags underneath. Kaa winked and shut the door.

Khan tapped his cigarette on the nearest ashtray, knocking the ashes off.

"What was he doing here?" Bagheera asked, frowning at his man.

"I think you know what he was doing here." Shere Khan sighed, but still kept his back facing Bagheera.

"I thought we talked about this. I thought you said you'd quit." Shere Khan said nothing, but he tensed up. He was already irritable and didn't want to hear this rant again. Bagheera continued, "I don't want to see you throw your life away."

"You don't want to see it? Then get out."

Bagheera's eyes widened at the man's words. "What?"

Khan spun around and separated his words at a much higher volume.

"You heard me! Get out!"

Bagheera's eyes were watery and his lip was trembling in an effort not to cry as he walked by and slammed the apartment door shut as he left. He pulled out his cell as he walked, calling an old friend.

"Baloo? Yeah. I've had a rough night. Want to go out for a drink?"

* * *

When Bagheera arrived at their usual pub, Baloo was already at the bar, with a free stool next to him, ready and waiting for Bagheera. Bagheera sat and was about to order when the bartender placed a whiskey in front of him.

Bagheera looked up at the man, but he had already walked away, so he turned his confused stare to Baloo, who winked as he took a sip of his beer, "I know what my Baggy likes."

Bagheera smiled at him, forgetting all about the fight he'd had with Shere Khan...that is until Baloo brought it up, "So what's wrong? You wanna talk about it?"

The smaller male sighed, "I'd had a long day at work and when I came home, Khan and I had a bit of a spat, is all."

Baloo frowned, "I see." He looked away from his friend and stared into his drink, silent for a while. Finally, he looked back at Bagheera and began, "If he hurts you…"

"He hasn't and he would never!" Bagheera interrupted, confident in his man's integrity.

Baloo mumbled under his breath something which sounded awfully similar to "don't be so sure", but spoke up louder with the rest of the words, "Sorry. I'm not meaning to accuse him, I just know Khanny's really quick to anger."

Bagheera huffed and rolled his eyes, but Baloo went on, "And I don't just mean physically. Words hurt too, Bagheera. If he says something that upsets you, come and tell me. I'll give him the what for. And if it's something unforgiveable? (at this, Bagheera's mind flashed back to Khan shouting at him to leave). Seriously, just break up with him. You deserve so much better."

He looked back into his drink again, but his drinking mate kept his gaze focused on him, "That's very sweet of you, Baloo. You truly are a great friend." Baloo gave a meek smile at that.

* * *

By the end of their evening, Bagheera was barely standing up; having to lean on Baloo. Bagheera never was one who could handle alcohol, and Baloo, the protective friend who could hold his liquor, was happy to escort his old pal home.

He rang the bell and Khan opened the door, giving Baloo and the nearly unconscious Bagheera a once-over. He nodded toward Baloo, and without a word exchanged between the two, he transferred Bagheera over to himself, taking him into the apartment, and slamming the door in Baloo's face.

Baloo blinked at the door making a loud bang in front of him and let out a sigh, turning around and slowly making his way back to his own apartment, his thoughts never straying from his friend who meant so much more to him.

No sooner had the door slammed shut, did Shere Khan throw the tipsy Bagheera onto the couch. At the rough handling, he woke up a bit, enough to cry out in pain and look at Khan, disoriented and scared.

"What were you doing with that bear?" Khan growled at him.

"What?"  
"I said, what were you doing with Baloo?!"

Bagheera blinked hard, puzzled by the question, "We went out for a drink."

"Did you fuck him?"

Bagheera was completely baffled, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me!"

Bagheera was getting a bit testy and it showed in his tone of voice, "No, I did not sleep with my childhood friend."

Khan nodded, accepting the answer, but he was still hot, "I don't like you hanging around that guy."

 _Well, I don't like_ you  _hanging around Kaa and your other clients._  "Why not? He's my best friend."  
Khan got in his face, intimidating the dark-haired man. "He'd like to be a lot more than that. He wants what's mine."

Bagheera was confused. The alcohol had already put him in a daze, and now Shere Khan was saying such impossible things, like Baloo having feelings for him. "All we did was talk. What you said really bothered me, so I wanted to cheer myself up."

Khan glared at him, "Don't blame me! You were the one who was patronizing me for making us some cash!"

"Excuse me for being concerned that my boyfriend could go to jail!" His frustrations over all those months burst out as sarcasm, "Excuse me for not wanting acid freaks around, having a bad trip and potentially ruining our home!"

Bagheera had never seen Shere Khan more furious, when it happened. With a loud smack, Khan slapped Bagheera across the face, leaving him wide-eyed and rosy-cheeked.

Bagheera took a step back in shock, and Khan's eyes widened, stricken with fear from what he had done. He reached his hand out to soothe his lover, "I'm sorr-" but he stopped apologizing when Bagheera flinched away from him. Khan moved quickly and trapped Bagheera in a tight hug.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I'll never do it again." Bagheera was tense and feebly pushed at Khan's shoulders to get away. Khan loosened the hug so he could look at the shorter man and judge his reaction.

Bagheera felt as if he was floating. He wasn't the one in his body when he pushed Khan off him and replied, "No, you won't." before walking out the door.

That still wasn't him, who stumbled along the road, falling over himself, but eventually making it to Baloo's doorstep, ringing the doorbell at an such an ungodly hour.

After a few minutes, a groggy Baloo in pajama pants and an oversized t-shirt came to the door.

"Bagheera?" He asked, skeptic of whether his friend was actually there. That hesitancy disappeared, though, as soon as Bagheera let loose all the emotions welling up inside him, openly sobbing. Baloo's adrenaline kicked in and he embraced Bagheera, closing the apartment door and just letting his love cling to him for support.

When at last the sobs turned into shaky breaths, Baloo lifted Bagheera up bridal-style and carried him off to his bed, laying him down and tucking him in. Bagheera was so exhausted, he didn't even notice the soft kiss on his forehead before he passed out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bagheera's through with Shere Khan, but Shere Khan's not thrilled by the idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Attempted rape

When Bagheera woke up, his head was pounding and he just wanted to slip back into a peaceful slumber. This was hard to do, however, as he looked around and recognized that it was not his own bedroom that he was in, though he recognized it as Baloo's, so it wasn't too great of a shock. As he got up to look for the tenant of the apartment, the previous night's memories came rushing back to him; the fight with Shere Khan, drinking far too much with Baloo, and returning only to fight again and this time actually getting hit from it. Bagheera rubbed his cheek, which hadn't really been hurting until he touched the sensitive skin. The rest of him was sore, however, from walking such a distance, and in a drunken stupor to boot (though he could not recall how he ended up at his friend's place).  
Trying not to think about how to handle the situation, he exited the room and went exploring the flat, finding his friend in the kitchen. When Baloo noticed his presence, he gave a small smile and poured Bagheera a glass of water and gave him an aspirin, already aware of how miserable Bagheera must've felt from the alcohol the night before.

They sat down at the table next to each other, not speaking, as Bagheera eagerly guzzled the drink. Finally, Baloo spoke, "Do you remember what happened last night?"

Bagheera swallowed and nodded, slowly.

"Wanna talk about it?"

Bagheera let out a sigh and said, "He hit me."

"Why?"  
Bagheera remembered that Khan had been angry and jealous that he had gone out with Baloo, who Khan believed liked his boyfriend. He thought it best to leave that out. "It's not important."

"And you left?"

Bagheera nodded.

"Good." He ruffled Bagheera's already messy hair and gave a weak smile, "I'm proud of you. Though I'm sorry he treated you like that."

"It's alright…I'm sad and angry, but I'm done with him now. Really, I'm just worried about how I'll get my stuff that's in our apartment." Bagheera chewed on his lip in thought, "He was apologetic after…I guess he's not so crazy that I'd be in danger if I went back, though he'll probably try to convince me to stay."

"I can go with you," Baloo offered, "I'll make sure he doesn't hurt you again."

Bagheera smiled sadly at him, "It's alright, I can—no, I need to—do this myself. Thank you. I'll call you if there's any problems."

They ate breakfast together and Baloo left for work. Bagheera called in sick and then got ready to go return to his apartment. He was a mess, so he took a shower and walked to his apartment, swimming in an oversized but fresh outfit of Baloo's.

Bagheera opened the door to the apartment slowly, checking to see if Shere Khan was anywhere to be seen. While he didn't think there'd be any serious problem if they ran into each other, he still preferred to avoid conflict. Khan wasn't in sight, so he walked in, but his footsteps were silent and he moved with caution.

He made it to the bedroom and grabbed a duffel bag and a suit case from the closet, cramming his clothes and other junk in them as best as he could. When they were packed full of his favorite things and as much as he could of the rest, he let out a sigh of relief and turned to leave the place.

Just as his hand was about to grab the doorknob and turn it, it fled from him as the door was opened. Khan towered over him, blocking out the light of the hall with his large physique. His eyes met Bagheera and his apathetic face went to an angry frown and he entered the apartment, shutting the door behind him. Before Bagheera could protest, he'd locked the deadbolt and the chain.

Bagheera's heart started to race and he made an attempt to reopen the door and flee, but Khan snatched his arm and held it with force, grumbling, "Where did you run off to?"

Bagheera gulped, "To B-Baloo's." He winced as Shere Khan's nails dug into his forearm.

"Did you call the cops?"

Bagheera frowned, he hadn't even thought of that. "No."

Khan looked unconvinced and he conveyed it in his actions as he bent Bagheera's arm behind his back and shoved him against the door, forcing him to turn his face, his cheek pressed against the structure. Bagheera heard a "snikt" and shortly after felt a cool, sharp edge on his throat, just under his chin. The taller man leaned forward and Bagheera could feel his warm, moist breath on his neck and ear.  
"Why should I trust you? Why should I let you go? I wouldn't want you calling the cops and pressing charges….and I certainly wouldn't want you to end up with that  _bear_." An extra gust of air from Khan's scoff sent shivers down Bagheera's spine, "And we've had so much  _fun_  together. Why should it end? Just 'cause I knocked you around a bit? You'll learn to love it."

Bagheera whimpered as Khan grabbed him by the arm and swung him around, letting him fly roughly into an armchair. Khan quickly came near him, returning the knife to his neck. "Don't make a sound, or I'll have to slit your pretty throat." Khan climbed on him and kissed down the side of his neck that he didn't have the knife pressed to. When he reached Bagheera's clavicle, he stopped and moved the knife down to slice open the borrowed shirt.

He made a noise of disgust, "You smell like him. It's sick. We'll have to fix that." The blade was back again and Khan moved to his chest and nipples, sucking and biting. Even if they had been in a pleasurable experience with mutual consent, Khan was being far too rough. It was clear that his goal was to leave as many marks as he could cover Bagheera in. Bagheera squirmed a bit at the thought and Khan put pressure on the blade. Bagheera yelped and felt a wet stickiness on his neck, letting him know that he had drawn blood. "Don't fight, you'll only make this worse for yourself."

Before Khan had a chance to continue his ministrations, there was a loud bang and a crack and shouting as the door was broken down and several cops burst through the splintered entrance. Both men jumped.

"FREEZE! DROP YOUR WEAPON, PUT YOUR HANDS UP AND STAND!"

Shere Khan grumbled and glared at Bagheera, begrudgingly throwing the knife to the ground and raising his hands, fingers spread to be level with his head. He turned around and stared at the intruders and saw Baloo hanging in the back by the door. He shot a dirty look at him, baring his teeth, and returned his focus to the officers.

Bagheera and Baloo locked eyes and both let out a sigh of relief. Bagheera followed it with rapid breaths of hysteria as he started to cry and Baloo rushed over to console him. As Shere Khan was handcuffed and escorted out of the apartment, the medics came in and swaddled Bagheera in a shock blanket.

The cops began to search the flat and Bagheera called out to them, telling them where Khan kept his stash; in a box in the bottom drawer of the wardrobe in their bedroom.

"Thank you, sir," One of the policemen nodded to Bagheera in gratitude and continued, "We've been after Khan for a while now. We've known he was a drug dealer, but we hadn't had enough evidence to arrest him. When your friend here," he gestured to Baloo, "came and informed us that you'd been gone for a few hours and you and Khan had had a physical fight last night, it gave us an opportunity to strike. He'll be going to court not only for his drugs, but for assault and attempted rape. You won't have to worry about him for a long time."

Bagheera was too petrified to celebrate, so he just leaned against Baloo, weeping and shivering, until he was taken to the hospital to be assessed and have his wound bandaged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, to those of you who are reading or following this story! I hope I haven't scared you away with this chapter, but I promise, that's the worst it'll get. I'm hoping you're getting all of the little parallels with the original movie that I'm putting in the story. For example, Shere Khan uses a switch blade on the neck, just like his classic and intimidating clawed chin scratch...


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bagheera reflects on the Incident and how it will influence his future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No warnings this time, yay!!

Bagheera let the water drizzle on his back, beating a sort of massage out on his tense shoulder blades. He scrubbed the shampoo in his hair, closing his eyes and thinking about his situation.

It had been one week.  
One week since Bagheera's life changed completely.  
Since the Incident, Bagheera had moved all of his things out of his old apartment and left it, thankful that they had been paying monthly and there was no lease chaining him to that flat full of bad memories.

Bagheera had been staying in Baloo's apartment. There was only one bedroom, but it was a large bed and Bagheera was oblivious to the stress he was causing Baloo by sleeping in the same bed but being untouchable.

It would have to do for a while, until Bagheera felt he was stable enough to live on his own again, something he hadn't done in months.

Bagheera stepped out of the shower and dried himself off while the condensation on the mirror slowly evaporated. The glass was clear just as he had finished with all but his hair. He gazed at his reflection, analyzing the remaining traces of the Incident.

The hickeys and bite marks had just about faded at this point, but the wound on his neck was still very visible. It would likely scar, a physical representation of his memory that wouldn't disappear.

He hadn't been going to work. He'd quit his job; another reminder of the wasted time. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do, yet. He was sick of bussing tables; that he knew.

Since he wasn't bringing any money in and he felt guilty about mooching off of his friend, he did the housework while Baloo was at work. Well, the housework he  _could_  do. Bagheera cleaned the house, washed the dishes and the laundry, but he stayed away from the kitchen. He was a decent enough cook. He could make food for himself and he often had for Khan in the past, as well, but he wasn't going to mess with genius. Baloo was a chef. Any food that Bagheera made would pale in comparison to his. Often, Baloo would bring leftovers home from the restaurant he worked at and the two would enjoy its rich flavors.

Bagheera had finished with today's chores and now he was waiting for his companion to come home. Loud footsteps approaching told him that he had timed it perfectly, getting out of the shower just before his pal returned.

Baloo opened the door with a big smile on his face, singing a silly song Bagheera had never heard, and grinning even wider when he saw Bagheera, "Hey, Baggy! What d'ya say we go out for sushi?"

Bagheera blushed a bit. Sushi was his favorite. "Sure," he said, returning the smile.

The pair departed for the nearby sushi bar. Bagheera, a sushi-eating master, had no trouble dipping the fish into a sauce and eating the large pieces in a single bite. It was dinner and a show, though, as Baloo was not as accustomed to the raw seafood, unsure of how to take it all in one bite. He tried nibbling a bit on it, but only ended up dropping a large portion of the attached rice on himself and having the tuna slip back onto his plate. He was a bit embarrassed about his lack of elegance, but hearing Bagheera's laugh made him lighten up.

Baloo was thankful that despite all Bagheera had been through, he was still able to laugh. He often still looked sad or would go quiet suddenly, seeming to be thinking deeply about something; naturally, he had been in some way affected. All the same, Bagheera's smile wasn't foreign this past week. Baloo was still able to cheer his friend up, some.

As Baloo thought about this, he wondered if perhaps he had been giving himself too much credit, and not giving it to Bagheera for staying positive.

* * *

Dinner ended, and the two made their trek back to the apartment, chatting and enjoying themselves. Bagheera had a wonderful night and it made him think about how grateful he was to Baloo. When they got home and went inside the flat, Bagheera turned to him and thanked him.

"Baloo, I just wanted to say that you've been fantastic. You've been so kind and generous, letting me stay here without any cost, taking me out for my favorite treat. Not to mention…" Bagheera looked down, his eyes narrowing as he recalled unpleasant things, "If it weren't for you, he would've had me, and I really don't know what would have become of me."  
He locked eyes with Baloo for what he deemed to be the most important part, "Thank you. So much."

Baloo blushed and rubbed the back of his head, "Baggy, it's nothing. What are friends for?"

Bagheera simply looked at him, smiling fondly.

As they readied themselves for bed that night, they did it wordlessly. It was a comfortable, warm silence; the atmosphere between two people who loved each other very much.

Baloo finished first and climbed into the right side of the bed, closing his eyes and remembering those words Bagheera had said, the way he looked at him, that made his heart pound, trying to produce a fantastical dream where his love was returned.

* * *

As Bagheera brushed his teeth, he thought about his future.

He wasn't sure if he'd ever recover completely from his past, but with someone like Baloo to support him, he thought he might be able to come pretty close to it.

It was then that Bagheera realized what he wanted to do. He slipped into the left side of the bed as quietly as he could but then spoke, "Baloo?" He barely whispered.

Baloo's eyes opened slowly, "Mmm?"  
"Are you awake?"  
"Mmmhm."

"I….I think I know where I want to go from here."

"Hm?"

"I mean, with my life…"

"What is it?"

"I….I don't want anyone to go through what I went through." Bagheera bit his lip and let out a shaky breath, "If…If I can, I'd like to prevent things from getting that far, for others. If I'm too late, I want to be there for them, like…like you've been here for me." He turned to face Baloo, but ended up lowering his eyes to avoid meeting Baloo's, anyway. "I…I want to be a social worker."

Baloo said nothing at first, just looking at the smaller man's face and its many emotions; pain, optimism, determination, compassion…

Finally, he smiled tenderly and put his hand to Bagheera's cheek, "It suits you."

Bagheera blushed as much at the touch as the statement, "You think?"

Baloo nodded, "But that, my friend, is something to start looking into tomorrow. Get some sleep." He pressed a gentle kiss to Bagheera's forehead and shifted so he was no longer facing temptation.

Bagheera felt a twinge of loneliness as Baloo turned his back to him, and he rubbed his forehead, feeling the ghost of Baloo's lips on it still.

Bagheera flipped to his other side and brushed off his thoughts, letting himself drift into a restful slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, as always! Also, if it was confusing for that last scene— they got into bed with Bagheera facing the wall and Baloo facing the center. Bagheera turned to face the center. Baloo turned to face the wall. Bagheera turned to face the wall.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No warnings again, yay!

Bagheera spent his day using the great invention that is google.

He did a lot of research, jumping headfirst into his new goal that he knew very little about.

A social worker needed a minimum of a Bachelor's degree. As Bagheera was certainly far from swimming in cash, he figured he'd have to settle for that.

He found a website that conveniently listed all of the colleges in New York that offered social work degrees and was surprised to find that the closest SUNY location to him, Stony Brook, was actually fairly cheap, especially considering that he needn't live on campus. It seemed like, for once, the odds were in his favor. If Bagheera believed in that sort of thing, he would have thought it was a sign.

He eagerly sent in his application to start the fall semester and waited.

While Bagheera had performed well in his schooling, he hadn't continued after graduating high school. At 18, he was young and unsure of what he wanted to do with his life. He didn't think it fair, how he was being forced to make such important, practically permanent, decisions before he knew himself. He decided it was best to just enter the working world, and that's where he had been the past four years, bussing tables and other jobs that definitely weren't his desired "career" choice; too busy to think much about a better alternative.

He wished that he'd known he wanted to do this sooner. At this point, he would already be done; already have his degree and maybe even found a job with it. Baloo had been so lucky. Ever since he was a kid, Baloo had known he wanted to be a chef. When they were very small, the two of them would always play "restaurant" and Baloo would always be the chef and Bagheera would always be the customer. As soon as Baloo's mother had been convinced that letting her baby into the kitchen wouldn't lead to him catching himself on fire (and after he had watched a sufficient number of fire safety videos to know to "STOP, DROP, AND ROLL", were this to happen), Baloo was helping her with meal time as often as he could. With so much practice and skill he probably could have gotten a job right away, but for formality's sake, he'd gotten his Bachelor's in culinary and shortly after, restaurants were begging him to join them.

Bagheera sighed. Despite his luck in finding a college, he doubted things would come so easily to him as well. Life just wasn't like that. He had to be rational, so as not to get his hopes up and be crushed.

In the meantime, Bagheera got a job working at a McDonald's nearby, both to save money for tuition (in the assumption that he'd been accepted) and to help pay the bills, as he continued mooching off Baloo. It wasn't enjoyable, but it was necessary, he thought. He figured he should probably save as much as he could as soon as he could so he could stop being a nuisance and leave Baloo to enjoy his bachelor's pad in his desired solitude.

* * *

A few weeks passed and Bagheera got a letter from Stony Brook University. His hands shaking in anticipation, he opened the letter, ignoring the paper cut he got doing it. He had waited too long to receive any response and could not wait any longer. Rather than taking the time to actually read it, he skimmed for the essential sentence.

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Stony Brook University._

There it was, in black ink. The words he'd been waiting for. He let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding and collapsed on the couch, weak in the knees. He stayed there, eyes blank as he zoned out, in shock.

He was still there, 15 minutes later, when Baloo came home. He hadn't moved; still clutching the letter in a death grip and Baloo dreaded the news that must surely be terrible for Bagheera to look like that.

Always sensitive to Bagheera's feelings, Baloo tugged the letter out of Bagheera's hand to read it himself, rather than force Bagheera to say the bad news. He skimmed it quickly, as he would any letter.

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Stony Brook University._

Baloo let out a relieved chuckle. So it was in utter disbelief in the good news that Bagheera looked as he did. Baloo laughed harder and plopped himself on the sofa next to Bagheera.

"Congrats, Baggy!" He put an arm around his friend and dragged him in for a hug. "We should celebrate!"

Before he could suggest what that entailed, he noticed the red all over the smaller man's hand. He let go abruptly in surprise, "Jeez, Baggy! You cut yourself and you just sit here, bleeding everywhere?! What the Hell!"

He jumped up and grabbed Bagheera by his good hand, dragging him into the bathroom for first aid. Bagheera was still out of it as his hand was put under running water and as Neosporin was put on the tiny source of so much blood. When Baloo was almost finished, at the Band-Aid stage, Bagheera snapped out of it to tell his roommate of his other plans.

"Baloo…" He stared at the bright red, black, and white of the 101 Dalmatians bandage as Baloo wrapped it around his finger, "I'll move out."

Baloo's eyes snapped from the cut to the pair of eyes in front of him. "…Bagheera?" He said only his friend's name, hoping that the questioning tone would ask all of the things he was afraid to and conceal his true desires. _Why? Did I do something wrong? Don't leave. Stay with me._

"I'm only a burden to you. You've been so kind, opening up your home—Hell, even your bed, to me. I've been taking advantage of your generosity. I should leave you be and live on my own."

Baloo connected the last bit of adhesive to the rest of the Band-Aid, and smirked a bit at what he was about to say and his prediction of Bagheera's reaction. "No."

Now it was Bagheera's turn to stare at Baloo, "No? Baloo…"

"No." Their eyes finally met and Baloo smiled tenderly, "Are you uncomfortable here? Unhappy?"  
"Well, no, but—!"

"Well, I'm not, either. I enjoy your company very much. It was lonely here, before."

Bagheera's eyes were shinier and he looked like he was close to tears. "Besides," Baloo continued, "If you're going to start going to university, then you're going to be short on cash, and the time to make that cash. You're not gonna want to have to pay rent."

Bagheera was about to protest, say that he should at least help Baloo pay rent, but Baloo cut him off, "Just help out with chores like you've been doing. It's made things a lot easier. Okay?"

Bagheera flushed and looked away, unable to keep looking at his friend who was always so sweet. Too sweet. "But what about….sharing a bed…?"

Baloo laughed, "I'm fine with it as long as you keep warming up my feet."

There was a pause before Bagheera registered what Baloo had said and he laughed, "Your feet are too damn cold. You should get that checked out. You have bad circulation. I can't sleep at night because your icy feet steal all my warmth."

Baloo smiled, satisfied that he was convinced. He reached out and hugged Bagheera, holding him close.

Bagheera closed his eyes and enjoyed the warmth of the embrace (it was only Baloo's feet that were cold; his heart was especially warm). He laughed inwardly at his own cheesy comment and smiled, grateful for his wonderful friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Also, if you don't already know, The Jungle Book has just recently been released from The Vault and is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray! I recommend buying it because it will only be available for a short time before they put it back in The Vault for a few years. I already got my copy!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Brief, non-descriptive mentions of abuse and attempted rape. (Just Bagheera telling someone a summary of what happened).

Bagheera shifted in his seat, licking his lips and adjusting his cap for the sixteenth time since he sat down. And they were only on the B's. He looked down at his hands, imagining the next scene playing out in his head.

" _Bagheera Cabot._ " The microphone strengthened the voice and Bagheera's head shot up and he stood, walking toward the speaker and shook his hand, taking the rolled up piece of paper in the other. As he walked on to exit the stage, he heard a whistle and someone shouting, "GO BAGGHY!"

Bagheera looked down and blushed, while a few former classmates whispered, surprised that someone as quiet and composed as Bagheera would have such loud family.

After walking down the steps and satisfied that the focus was no longer on him, Bagheera looked out into the crowd to find a familiar, grinning face. Baloo stood in the back, waving his arms to get Bagheera to notice him. Bagheera smiled shyly and gave a little wave, half to acknowledge him and half to get him to stop making a scene.

3 ½ years had passed since Bagheera's first day at Stony Brook.

Though his program was a four-year degree, Bagheera was, as always, a hard worker. He took classes in the summer as well and was able to meet all the requirements early. The work had paid off, and now he was done!

* * *

As the crowd of red gowns dissipated, Bagheera scanned the audience for his only guest. Said man spotted him first and Bagheera was suddenly lifted into the air from behind. He let out a yell and kicked, trying to get his friend to put him down.

Baloo got the message and set him back on the ground. Bagheera spun around but before he could scold his roommate, Baloo was embracing him in a bear hug.

"Bagghy. Bagghy, you did it! I'm so proud of you!"

Bagheera felt his face heat up and he frowned, unsure of what emotions he was feeling at that moment. "Thank you, Baloo."

"Let's go celebrate!"

"Well, let me change first, will you?"

* * *

The two men sat at their usual stools at their usual bar and enjoyed their usual drinks.

Bagheera thought about this and how his life with Baloo had such a familiarity and such domesticity to it. The past few years of living with the man had made life without him seem impossible. They had a daily routine; both of them knew when it was their turn to shower or what TV show the two of them would watch together that night. They shared their home, their chores, their room, even their bed.

It felt so right. So normal. And that's what made it so scary.

Bagheera loved Baloo. They had been best friends for as long as he could remember. The qualities that Bagheera loved the most about Baloo, though, were the ones that were most harmful to Baloo. Bagheera always admired Baloo's compassion and generosity. The man had opened his home up to Bagheera, and completely put off his own life for him. In all his time living with Baloo, Bagheera never saw Baloo date anybody. He never even saw him flirt with anybody when they went to the bar.

While Baloo had never been any sort of playboy, he had had relationships in high school and college. The only factor that could have changed his love life, Bagheera concluded, was him. Baloo must have felt too awkward about Bagheera living with him, sharing his bed, to date anyone. Maybe he was worried about how Bagheera would feel about Baloo bringing somebody home and kicking him out of the place for a while. Or worse, maybe he was ashamed to be sharing his bed with his platonic male friend.

Whatever the reason, Bagheera felt guilty. It was time to set Baloo free, despite how much it pained him to think about it.

After a few drinks, Bagheera's brain had finally relaxed enough to let his mouth say whatever it wanted.

"Baloo. I'll move out."  
Baloo turned to him with wide eyes, surprised at the abrupt statement. "Bagghy? Why?"

Now if he hadn't let the alcohol get to him, he probably would have made some speech about independence and self-sufficiency. But he  _had_  let the alcohol get to him, so he said, "Because it's not fair to you."

Baloo frowned, not understanding.

Bagheera continued, "I'm in the way. I'm in your bed. You've been so kind as to let me stay with you but because of that you haven't felt free to find love."

Baloo replied without hesitation, "What if I have?"  
Bagheera's heart hurt at the words. After a few seconds to regain his composure he insisted, "Well, then, you'll want some alone time with that person. You wouldn't want me in your bed when you're trying to seduce someone.  _I_ don't want me in your bed when you're trying to seduce someone."

"There's more to a relationship than sex, Bagheera." Baloo's eyes narrowed and he seemed a bit irritated.

"Well, of course, but all the same. Whomever you date wouldn't appreciate us living like…"  
"Like what?"  
"Like a married couple!" Bagheera turned beet red upon realizing what he'd said, "I mean, of course, you'd never marry me, but-!"

"Well, you've never asked."

Bagheera turned his face to meet his friend's eyes.

"W…what?"

"I said, you've never asked me. Don't say I'd never marry you, when you've never asked my opinion."

"Baloo? What are you saying?"

Baloo blushed a bit but that was the only outward sign that he was nervous about his confession, "I'm saying, Bagheera, that I love you. And I have for as long as I can remember and though it's selfish of me, I don't want you to leave because I've been so happy with you."

Bagheera's head was pounding from the blood rushing to his head, pushing his face past a flushed red to a purple. He felt dizzy. "Ba…loo…?" His vision went black and Baloo was luckily sober enough to catch the panther as he started tipping off the bar stool.

With a heavy Bagheera as dead weight in his arms and a heavy broken heart, Baloo let out a sigh. Well, that was a bust. Alcohol and shocking news didn't mix. He paid their tab and carried Bagheera piggy-back home.

* * *

When Bagheera woke up, he heard faint noises that told him his roomie was watching TV. With a terrible headache, he lay in bed for a bit, recollecting his last memories.

They were at the bar to celebrate his graduation, and Baloo...Baloo had said he loved him.

_Baloo said he loved him._ Bagheera shot upright in bed, effectively snapping out of the disoriented wakeup mindset and getting a head rush.

_Oh my God._ Why hadn't he seen it before? Baloo was always so kind to him and always so passive-aggressive to the men he'd dated. And as for Bagheera's feelings, well… Bagheera's stomach had butterflies in addition to its nausea from his hangover. His face flushed and his heart beat faster in his chest. Why hadn't he seen that before either?

He slipped out of bed and treaded softly into the living room, where he saw Baloo sitting on the couch, staring blank-faced at the cooking show he was watching.

Bagheera plopped next to him, slightly closer than usual, but said nothing. Baloo, without even thinking about it, turned the volume down some so as not to bother Bagheera, who he was sure had a headache from last night. A few minutes passed with Bagheera staring at Baloo and Baloo trying and failing to ignore him.

Finally he sighed, "Look, Bagheera. I'm sorry about last night. I got carried away. I shouldn't have said all that. I totally understand if you want to move out, and I'm not going to stop you. But I…" He gulped nervously, "I hope that my feelings for you don't affect our friendship."

"Baloo." Said man finally turned to meet Bagheera's eyes, "I love you too."

Baloo's jaw dropped.

Bagheera stared anxiously back, a bit concerned by the shell-shocked reaction, having expected a happy one.

"What? No…" Baloo raised one eyebrow skeptically, "No…I'm dreaming. The real Bagheera sees me only as his best friend. No more, no less."

"That's what I thought, too!" Bagheera's raised his voice some, distressed about being accused of lying, accused of being a dream, "But when I thought about moving out, my chest hurt, and when I thought about you dating someone I got so sad, but also so angry, all at once! And living with you feels so right and I never want to leave, and now that I've heard you say it, my heart is beating like crazy and I'm blushing and I really just want you to ki-!"

His ramble was cut off by lips pressed against his, but he finished his sentence after the few seconds the peck took, "-ss me right now…!"

Their eyes met and Bagheera smiled tenderly, and Baloo's grin grew even wider until he leaned in for another kiss. The two stayed like that for the rest of their lazy Saturday, completely enthralled in each other, eager to let show years of repressed emotions.

* * *

On Sunday, Bagheera went in to the nearest social work office filled with a self-confidence he'd built up from his hard work, graduation, and lots of kisses from his new boyfriend. He was ready for this interview, and he was going to get the job.

After a few minutes of waiting for the employer to be ready, his name was called and he entered the office. Handshakes and introductions were exchanged, and after a few basic questions and scenario-based questions, he was asked the big one: "What do you hope to accomplish as a social worker?"

Bagheera let out a breath and began a summary of his story, "I was in a relationship with a bad person. I was abused, and almost raped. It was horrible and it changed my life and my way of thinking forever. After what I went through, I knew that I didn't want anyone else to go through anything like it. I wanted to be able to prevent those kinds of things from happening to other people. I wanted to help people who were going through tough times like I did, so I decided I wanted to be a social worker. My goal is to help as many people as I can so they can move on with their lives and be happy and safe."

The interviewer nodded and asked, "You don't think your experiences could be a problem? You aren't concerned you'll have any sort of emotional breakdown triggered by a client's similar experiences?"

"No," Bagheera said firmly, "I made it through it. I'm okay. I've moved past it and because I've been through that, I know what to watch for in others and I know what is needed in order to get through it."

The interviewer smiled slightly and nodded, then stated that the interview was over and he'd let Bagheera know whether he'd gotten a job soon.

* * *

After two days of monotonous cashier work at McDonald's, with nightly recuperation from a loving man back home, Bagheera finally got the phone call.

He stood on one side of the island in the kitchen, trying to focus on the important conversation while Baloo made uninterpretable hand motions on the other side, trying to figure out what the news was. Bagheera swatted his hand at him to signal for him to knock it off and let him concentrate.

"Yes. Yes. Alright. Thank you so much. Yes. See you then."  
Though Baloo was fairly certain he knew what the verdict was before he was told, he tried to repress his grin to wait and hear it from the panther's mouth.

Bagheera calmly hung up the phone and set it down on the countertop.

"Well...?" Baloo made a "go on" hand motion.

"I got the job!" Bagheera's collected façade fell and a he smiled widely, laughing in relief.

Baloo lifted him up and spun him around, chuckling and sharing in the excitement. After turning 360, rather than putting his love down on the ground, he plopped him onto the couch and followed after him, snuggling in and rewarding Bagheera's success with smooches.

* * *

Bagheera walked in the following Monday, his first day of work, eager to begin. It was very nice to be going to not only his dream job, but one where he wore nice dress shirts and dress pants rather than a uniform and a visor.

He greeted his new coworkers and his boss, who led him to his own cubicle. His boss let him know that his first client would be in shortly and would be directed to his cubicle, before leaving. Bagheera settled in to his wheely chair and looked around at the small space that was designated as "his".  _Wow. This is really happening,_  he thought. The walls were plain, though he supposed they would be more decorated in the future. He imagined drawings done by future children clients who were eager to show pff their artistic talent. He opened his briefcase and took out two framed photos; one of himself and Baloo as children, and a recent one of Baloo alone, placing them on his desk to give it its first personal touch.

He smiled to himself.  _I can't believe it. Everything seems to be going perfectly._

"Cabot, here's your first client."

Smile still on his face, Bagheera swivelled around to face the two men.

"Cabot, this is Kaa Holloway. Kaa, this is Bagheera Cabot."

_Way to jinx it, Bagheera._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was a bit conflicted as for how to go about this chapter...Wasn't sure if a time skip was best, but I ended up going with that...
> 
> Bagheera's last name is the last name of his voice actor, Sebastian Cabot. It was the only thing I could think of, because I would've done "panther" in another language, but that's what "Bagheera" mean...So he'd be named "Panther Panther"(...Moon Moon?)
> 
> So with this standard, the characters' full names are:
> 
> Bagheera Cabot
> 
> Baloo Harris
> 
> Kaa Holloway
> 
> Shere Khan Sanders
> 
> Wow, those are really European last names for Indian first names...Uhm...
> 
> I finally got to include a parallel to my favorite line in the whole movie!   
> So I watched The Jungle Book for the first time in years about a year ago. I could barely remember what happened, besides characters and the really big plot points, but I knew that I shipped Bagheera and Baloo. I couldn't remember why, especially since I didn't know what shipping was the last time I had watched it. But anyway, I watched it and there it was: the best scene.
> 
> "You wouldn't marry a panther, would you?"
> 
> "I don't know. Come to think of it, no panther ever asked me!"
> 
> And Bagheera gets all flustered and it's just the cutest thing.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Drug use and relapsing

The two men stared at each other in the small space. Bagheera's boss had left and now it was just him and Kaa, sitting across from each other with Bagheera's desk in between.

Bagheera cleared his throat and decided he'd break the silence. He had to be professional about this. This was his first client. Even if he was a snake of a guy.

"So…Mr. Holloway."  
"Pleasssse, Bagheera. There's no need to be ssso formal," The scrawny man smirked. He was enjoying every minute of this, Bagheera knew. It was infuriating.

"Look, Kaa. Why are you here? Just to mess with me? I've finally gotten past everything. I'm happy now. I don't need you showing up and dragging me back into…whatever." Bagheera snapped at him, but remembered to keep his voice down after a few words, lest his coworkers misunderstand.

Kaa rolled his eyes. "Assss much as that would be a delight, it'sss not all about  _you_ , Bagheera."

Bagheera frowned but motioned for the man to continue.

Kaa let out a huff and looked away from Bagheera, almost bashful to admit his intentions, "I really want to turn my life around. Ssssurely you can underssstand that. I've been clean for four monthssss. I'm here for help in my job sssearch and alsssso to join any sssssort of ssssupport groupssss there are for people in my sssssituation."

He looked back at Bagheera. His eyes were sincere and for once, Bagheera felt like he could trust his words. "Okay," he answered, "I'll help in any way that I can."

The two of them spent the rest of the day working on a resume for Kaa. They were pleasantly surprised to find that, after putting aside their initial distaste for each other, they were able to work well together. Kaa went home with a bunch of pamphlets on Narcotics Anonymous and such while Bagheera went home thinking that, perhaps, having Kaa as a client wouldn't be the end to his long-awaited happiness after all. Maybe it'd even be good for him; as a test for him to prove that he had moved on.

* * *

Baloo burst into the apartment that evening, spying Bagheera on the couch and flying over to him to grant him an excited kiss.

"So how was the big day?" He was ecstatic; Bagheera almost thought Baloo was more excited about the job than he was himself.

Bagheera smiled, recalling the day's events, "It went well… I've got my own cubicle and…my first client."

"What are they like?" Baloo bounced as he sat next to his lover, eager to hear.

"Well…It's…"  
"Yeah?"  
"Kaa."

Baloo's bouncing ceased and he frowned. "Kaa? You mean that creepy druggy who always hung out with…" He paused to check Bagheera's reaction, "him?"

Bagheera sighed, "It's okay to say his name, you know. And yes. That Kaa. He says he's been clean for a few months and wants to start his life over."

Baloo raised an eyebrow, looking skeptical, "Do you believe him?"

Bagheera was surprised by how fast he answered, "Yeah. I do. He seemed serious and we were able to get a lot of work done. I totally get how he wants to move on."

Baloo frowned slightly and put his arm around the panther, half-hugging him, "Okay. Just be careful, though, alright? I don't want you getting mixed up in anything."

Bagheera hugged back tightly, "I know. I won't." He looked up at his boyfriend, "But I don't think we have anything to worry about…I mean, why would he show up there if not for help? He didn't know I was there; he was just as surprised as me, though he thought it was funny. Plus it's not like Khan could influence him anymore." Bagheera made a point of not reacting when he said the tiger's name, but Baloo flinched for him.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." He kissed Bagheera on the nose. "Nothing to worry about."

* * *

"Please, Mr. Cabot. I want to find his family." The man stared at Bagheera intently, pleading for help with his words and expression, while the boy fidgeted in the seat next to him.

"But I have a family!  _You're_ my family!" The child was only about ten, if Bagheera had to guess, and was understandably upset and confused by the situation.

"His  _real_  family." The man corrected, running his hand through his hair to calm his raging emotions. "We love him dearly. But we've so many foster kids already and they're all waiting to be adopted because they have no one left. I think he might still have someone, somewhere. He wasn't like the others. We found him, he wasn't assigned to us."

Bagheera frowned, "Mowgli, was it?"  
The boy glared up at Bagheera in response.  
"Mowgli. Why don't we spend some time together? Mr. Wolf, let me take him out for lunch and I'll talk to him. You can come pick him up in an hour."

Mr. Wolf looked at Mowgli who pointedly turned away from him, harrumphing. "I think that's a good idea, Mr. Cabot. Mowgli, I'll see you soon." He mussed the boy's dark hair and left Bagheera's cubicle.

Bagheera let out a small sigh and changed his persona with a smile for the child, "Well then, Mowgli. Where would you like to go for lunch? We can go where ever you'd like, how's that sound?"

Mowgli didn't respond. "Come now, you must have some restaurant you're fond of? Who makes the best food?"

"Mom," Mowgli mumbled, "Mama Wolf does."

Bagheera was about to try coming up with a place that he thought kids would like (what was that place with the games and tokens and creepy mouse mascot? Chuck E…) but before he could finish that train of thought, a booming voice snapped him out of it.

"Hey, hey, Bagghy! Ready for your lunch break?" Bagheera jumped as Baloo popped his head around the corner of his cubicle, with a huge grin. Bagheera was about to respond when he was attacked with another question, "Who's the little britches?" The bigger man gestured to the small boy who gazed up at him with wide eyes.

"Baloo, this is Mowgli, my newest client. Mowgli, this is my…friend, Baloo."

Baloo chuckled at Bagheera's awkwardness about their relationship and Bagheera shot him a look, "Baloo, Mowgli's coming with us to lunch."  
"Alright," Baloo smiled at the kid, "Why don't we go to the burger joint down the street?"

Mowgli nodded but remained quiet and the three of them left for lunch.

* * *

"So, Mowgli," Baloo began, sitting across from Bagheera and the boy, "What's the deal? Why're you stuck with Ol' Bagghy Pants here?"  
"Baloo!" Bagheera scolded, "Client confidentiality!"

"My dad doesn't want me anymore." Mowgli said glumly.

Bagheera glanced at him. It hurt to see the kid so sad; to hear that the kid was thinking such things. "Now, Mowgli. You misunderstand. Your father loves you very much. But he thinks it better for you if you're with your birth family."

Mowgli glared at Bagheera, "I don't have a birth family. They left me. They don't want me. I thought Papa and Mama Wolf did, but I guess I was wrong." He looked at his lap to hide the tears that were falling and when he spoke, his voice had lost its malice, "I don't know what I did. They're keeping all my brothers and sisters. Why me?"

"Mowgli." Bagheera put his hand on the boy's shoulder, "All the other children are foster children. They lost their families too and they went through a government system and were put with the Wolves. They found you when you were just an infant. For all we know, your family has been looking for you your whole life."

Mowgli blew bubbles into his chocolate milk in response.

Bagheera only let it bother him a little bit and went on, "They just want what's best for you. With the number of foster siblings in your home, money's tight, and they don't want that to affect your upbringing."

"Order Number 23!"  
Bagheera spared one more look at Mowgli before getting up to get their food.

After he left, Baloo took it upon himself to get the boy to open up, since it wasn't working for Bagheera. As an icebreaker, he blew as hard as he could into his Coke and watched the bubbles fizz up to the top loudly, catching Mowgli's attention. He blinked in surprise that an adult would act so childishly and Baloo grinned.  
"Bagghy's a stick in the mud, but he means well. Believe me, I know." He smiled fondly.

Mowgli was quiet for a moment, seeming to be in thought before he asked, "Is he your family?"

Baloo's smile widened and he blushed a bit, "Yeah… But we're the kind of family you choose."  
Exasperated, the small one flailed his arms, "That's what I'm saying! I want to choose to stay with my family! I don't care about this other one and they don't care about me! They're not my family! But I guess….." Frustration turned to melancholy, "I guess I'm too much of a burden…They don't want me. Nobody does."

Baloo was caught up in the moment and the despair in the boy's eyes and before he realized what he was saying, he blurted, "We do! We want you!"

Immediately after, his eyes widened and he began to fret.  _Oh, no…What had he done?!_

"You do?!" Mowgli had a little smile of disbelief and his voice cracked in his excitement.

How could he go back and say that he didn't want the boy when he had made him so happy?

"Yes," Baloo said, "Yes, we'd love to have you as our kid." And he found that as he said it, it didn't seem like he was lying. The nagging voice in his head started to disappear.

Bagheera returned with a tray of their food and smiled, pleased to see that Baloo was able to get Mowgli to come out of his shell. Baloo always was good with kids. With people, really. So cheerful and caring he couldn't help but bring a smile to your face…

Bagheera caught himself fawning over his boyfriend and blinked, snapping out of it and smiling and the other two.

"I see you two are getting along famously," Bagheera sat down.

"Yeah! Papa Bear's great!" Bagheera spit out the sip he'd just taken of his diet Coke at Baloo's nickname.

He cleared his throat and turned to the child and said pleasantly, " 'Papa…Bear?'"

Mowgli beamed, "Yeah! 'cause he's big like a bear!"

Bagheera pursed his lips to keep himself from cracking up but it was in vain when he and Baloo shared a glance. The two burst into loud laughter that drew the attention of all the other customers and startled a few. Mowgli looked between the two of them, not understanding, "What? What's so funny?"

"It's nothing…Nothing, Mowgli. Aaah," Bagheera wiped a tear from his eye and smiled down at the kid, "So…" He looked quickly at Baloo to ask a silent question and Baloo smiled. It was an empty smile, covering up the guilt he was feeling, but Bagheera didn't seem to notice. "Are you feeling better about all of this?"

Mowgli smiled and attached himself to Bagheera's torso with a hug, "Yeah, I am."

Bagheera was shocked at the sudden physical contact when he'd previously been unable to get any verbal communication. As he hugged back, he looked at Baloo, noticing the tender smile directed at the two of them. Bagheera blushed and made a quick kissy face at his boyfriend before anyone in the shop could notice.

* * *

After eating, they made their way back to the office, Mowgli yammering on the whole way. He walked between Bagheera and Baloo, holding hand with the both and swinging their arms back and forth.  
Bagheera was pleased at how chipper the boy now was but was still perplexed with the handholding. Something seemed strange, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

He also noticed that Baloo was being more quiet than usual. Or rather, more short with Bagheera. He was still chattering away with Mowgli, but whenever Bagheera said anything to him, he would answer in one word and look away. Strange…

They got to the office and saw Mr. Wolf leaning against his car at a parking meter a few yards away. Mowgli spun around and gave Bagheera hug and Baloo an even bigger hug, "See you around, Bagheera! Papa Bear!" He ran off to join his foster father and left the couple standing there alone.

"So…" Bagheera turned to his lover with a smile, ready to show his gratitude for Baloo's help with the kid. "What did you say to him that got him to warm up to you so quickly?"  
Baloo jolted, "Um…Uh…I…."  
"Yeah?"

"Ikindatoldhimthatwewanttoadopthim." Baloo spit out at lightning speed.

Unfortunately, it wasn't fast enough to get past Bagheera. "WHAT!?" He shouted.

Baloo winced at the tone of voice, "I…I'm sorry, Bagghy. He just…He was so sad. He thought nobody wanted him, and before I knew it, I said that we wanted him. I just wanted to make him happy, and it worked and after that I couldn't take it back. And after getting to know him, I don't think I want to. Bagghy…I'm serious." He let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding and looked at Bagheera, "Bagghy, I want to adopt him, with you."  
"BUH! GUH! UH!" Bagheera stuttered and Baloo thought for a second that he broke the smaller man. "NO! NO! No, Baloo. Just…no! First of all, the boy is happy with is foster family—the only reason we're moving him is because we think we may have found his birth family. You know what, Baloo!? WE'RE NOT HIS BIRTH FAMILY!"

"But Bagheera, he doesn't want his birth family."  
"It doesn't matter, Baloo! That's how it works! It's for the best if he's with his family! Second, Baloo, we can't just adopt any child client of mine that you meet!"  
That was a bit much. Baloo frowned, "It's not like that! This kid…He's special, I can tell."

Bagheera stood there, seething, letting out deep breaths in an attempt to cool off, "Thirdly, Baloo, we've never discussed children!"

"Come on, Bagghy, you can't tell me you don't want kids."  
"That's not the point," the shorter man huffed, "The point is that we never talked about it! You jumped the gun!"

"But Bagghy-!"  
"NO!" Bagheera finally blew up, "WE AREN'T ADOPTING MOWGLI. IF YOU WANT TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH HIM, YOU CAN COME WITH ME WHEN WE GO TO DRIVE HIM TO HIS MOTHER'S HOMETOWN, BUT THAT IS ALL, AND THAT IS FINAL." And with that he stormed off. Baloo let out a deep sigh and turned to head back to work. It was gonna be a long day.

Neither of them noticed the sickly looking man who had overheard everything.

* * *

Kaa came home to his flat and flipped the switch. It failed to produce any light and with a sigh, he fumbled in his pocket for his lighter, flicking it and using the tiny flame to try and find his way over to wear the bulb hung from the ceiling. As he stared into the interior of the bulb, looking to see if the filament was still intact, a pair of eyes appeared out of the darkness, shining in the small light. Kaa let out a gasp as a large hand wrapped itself around his lean throat. Nails dug into his skin and he whimpered as the arm slammed him into the wall.

"Good evening, Kaa." A voice purred at him and the hand around his throat loosened just enough that the snake could breathe and speak.

Which, with a gulp, he did, "H-Hello, Sssshere K-k-k-Khan!"

Khan chuckled and let go completely, letting the weak man slide to the floor. "What have you been up to since I've been away?"

"W…well, I've quit all of that stuff…" His eyes never strayed from the intimidating man, constantly watching for any dangerous movement.

"Oh? Really?" A crinkling noise was heard as the redhead pulled a small baggie from his inside pocket and waved the white powder in front of the former addict's face.

Kaa saw it and whined as a battle waged between the part of him that craved it and the part of him that said,  _"No, you've come so far! Don't give in!"_

Finally, there was a victor. With shaky but fast hands he reached for the bag, only to have Khan's faster hand move it away before he could grab it. Kaa groaned as he saw Khan put the baggy back into his pocket.

"Ah, ah, ah. First comes payment."

Kaa stammered, "I-I-I…I don't have a job yet, I'm working on getting one! I'm making good progressssss! Bag-!" Upon realizing whom he was about to mention, Kaa clamped his mouth shut.

Khan's eyebrows raised, intrigued, "What was that?"  
"N…Nothing! No one!"

Khan pulled the baggy back out and returned it to its place as wiggling bait in front of Kaa's nose.  
"Tell me."  
"Bagheera!" He blabbed, "Bagheera. Bagheera'ssssss helping me."  
"And…why would he do that?" He drawled.  
Kaa's eyes followed the substance's movements, "He…he'sssss a sssssocial worker now…"  
Khan chuckled, "Oh really?"  
"Yesss….and, and I'm one of hisssss clientsssss."  
"Tell me more."  
Kaa frowned and openly met Khan's eyes, gesturing back toward the baggy and shutting his mouth, indicating that he'd spill the rest once he was given what he wanted.

Khan sighed but, certain that he'd get the rest out of him, dropped the package. Kaa's hands shot out to catch it before it reached the ground and he continued excitedly, "He'ssss with that guy now."  
Khan frowned. He had a hunch but asked anyway, "What guy?"  
"Baloo," He examined the powder in the baggy as he spoke, "He'ssss got picturessss of him in hisssss cubicle. They're kinda cute…"

Khan growled and Kaa hurriedly corrected himself, "B-but I'm not ssssssssure thingssss are going well between them…"  
"And why is that?"  
"Becaussssse….I wasssss eavessssdropping earlier…and Baloo wantssssss to adopt ssssome client of Bagheera'sssss, and Bagheera won't have it…."

Khan spit at the thought of the two of them all domestic, with a kid.

"So…Baloo really likes this kid, huh?"  
"Ssssseemssss like it."

"What's his name?"

"I believe it wasssss….Mowgli."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just meant to reference Kaa being a snake and ended up quoting Rocky Horror Picture Show…
> 
> Also, Rama/Father Wolf's last name is "Wolf" rather than the last name of his voice actor because "Wolf" is actually a last name and also it fit better with the idea of it being the pack's family name, I guess?
> 
> I think this is the longest chapter I've written? I just really wanted it to end where it did, yay suspense.
> 
> Also, if it's confusing on the whole "Mowgli's real family" bit…. The Wolves realized a long time ago that he might still have family alive but they didn't do anything about it because they cared about him too much. Finally the guilty got to them and they did some digging and compared Mowgli's finger prints to those of baby boys born the same year in the nearest hospitals. It was a long shot, but they had success and got a name for the mother. Now they're asking Bagheera to track down the mother's family and see if any of them are alive/looking for Mowgli. (Please forgive me if that's really out there…I don't know what I'm doing.)
> 
> Also I know Kaa was originally referred to as an "Acid Head" or something akin to that, but he was also addicted to heroin. It would've just been heroin but I've always thought that his hypnosis thing was kinda trippy so I wanted to link it to LSD…
> 
> I hope any Kaa fans aren't upset with me for his relapse...Kaa's actually my 2nd favorite character (Bagheera's #1, of course!)! Kaa's such an interesting character. He's got this dual personality, and you can physically see them seperately because his eyes will change color between white and yellow. One minute he's the sweetest thing and the next he's unstable and violent. I was trying to capture that, I guess, with his good side being his attempt at setting his life straight, but his bad side inevitably winning because he is still a villain.


	7. Chapter 7

Baloo came home that evening with a bag full of goodies on his arm, determined to get Bagheera to forgive him even if that meant resorting to tempting him with his favorite foods. "Bagheera?" He called out, "I brought home dinner…It's your favorite…! Sushi…! I, uh, I brought home some pie, too…French Silk…"

Bagheera peered around the corner at his roommate, whose back was turned to him, watching him unpack on the island counter. He smiled softly, touched that his old friend knew his tastes so well and cared enough to try and cater to them, even when they didn't exactly go together.

Bagheera slinked over to him and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, nuzzling his face into his back. Baloo froze for a second in his unpacking, registering the familiar feeling of Bagheera's arms around him before continuing to get their dinner ready.

"I'm sorry for blowing up at you, Baloo." The shorter man mumbled into his shirt.

Baloo sighed, "No, Bagghy, I understand why you were upset. I had no right to say something like that to the kid. It was careless of me. I'm sorry."  
Bagheera scoffed, "You had more luck than I did, getting him to talk by saying that, though. He wouldn't have told me a thing. You're better cut out for this job than me."

Baloo turned around so he could hug back, holding Bagheera close to his chest, "Now, don't say that…I spoiled him. You would have been right, to tell him the truth and all."

Bagheera looked up at the large man, "But weren't you saying it  _was_ the truth? For you, at least?"

Baloo looked away and one of his arms let go of Bagheera to rub the back of his neck awkwardly, "Well, uh…You see….I…"  
"Yes….?"

"I…I had never really thought about it before, but…once I said it I realized it was true…And I mean, I've always liked kids. I haven't been around 'em in a long time, and he made me remember that. And…" He glanced down at his lover, "I really like you. And I…well…I wouldn't mind, uh, spending the rest of my life with you. And, y'know. Being a dad. With you."

Bagheera felt his face heat up and he looked down to hide it. "Baloo…I would….I would like that." He said it so quietly, Baloo thought he'd imagined it.

"What was that, Bagghy?"  
"I said…I'd…like that."

Baloo's eyes widened. Never in a million years would he have thought that Bagheera would agree to spend their lives together, let alone with children. This was one of his happiest moments…right after that time when Bagheera admitted to reciprocating his feelings.

"Bagheera, I love you." He whispered the words against the lean man's lips and rested his thumbs on his cheeks as he kissed him.

When they broke apart, Bagheera bit his lip, regretting that he still had to protest against adopting Mowgli. "But Baloo, we can't adopt  _Mowgli_."

"Why not?"  
"The whole reason the Wolves are giving him up is because we think Mowgli may still have family alive."

"And what if you're wrong? I doubt Little Britches would want to go back to the family that tried to get rid of him. Plus aren't they tight on cash?"

"Baloo…" He sighed. "Fine…If Mowgli doesn't have any family left…"  
"Yeah…?" A small smile started to bud on Baloo's face.

"Then…"  
"Yeah…?" The smile was getting wider as his hopes got higher.

"…Then I'll consider adopting him."

Baloo grinned. That was really the most he could expect from Bagheera.

"Oh, Bagghy!" He lifted the man up and Bagheera let out a yelp of surprise. Holding tight to his love, he swiftly carried Bagheera to their bedroom. They could reheat dinner later.

With a soft "fwump", Bagheera was dropped on the bed, blushing furiously as his man straddled his hips, leaning in for a kiss…

Both men leapt with a start when the phone started ringing. They let out a sigh in unison and looked at each other, debating whether to answer or not when the ringing stopped and the caller went to voicemail.  
" _Hello, Mr. Cabot?"_ The disembodied voice said, " _Mr. Cabot, we have urgent news. Please call back imm-!"_

Bagheera frowned in confusion before snatching the phone out of its cradle and answering, "Hello?"  
 _"Ah! Hello! Mr. Cabot?"_  
"Yes."

" _This is the Nissequogue Police Department. Sir, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but I'm afraid this is something you truly must know about."_

Bagheera's mind went through all the worst-case scenario possibilities. His parents were murdered. His workplace burnt down. Something happened to one of his clients. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he asked the man to continue, "Yes…?"

" _It seems that Shere Khan has escaped from prison."_

Bagheera froze and all the blood that had been present in his face thanks to Baloo's ministrations disappeared and he was pale as a sheet. Of all the plausible terrible things that could happen he never dreamed that that was one of them. He only half-listened as the man continued.

" _They're saying that he somehow managed it by digging a tunnel. But anyway, we made it a priority to inform you, because you may be in danger. He probably just wanted to escape and start life over. He probably won't bother you. But be aware and be cautious, at least until he is found and brought to justice."_

"...Yes. Thank you for letting me know. Goodbye." Forgive Bagheera for being short, but he was in shock. He put the phone back in its cradle and collapsed, boneless, back onto the bed.

"Bagheera? Bagheera, what's wrong?"

Baloo was nervous. Bagheera had always been a pessimist but he wasn't usually one for dramatics. At least, not at this scale. Something was up. Something big.

"K…Khan's out of prison." And for the first time since he told himself he was 'over it', Bagheera was unable to say the man's name without fear in his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nissequogue is an actual place, that's an actual police department…I have literally only been to New York once, like 8 years ago, so I cannot speak for it. I was just finding the closest police department to Stony Brook Uni, since I said earlier that they lived close enough that Bagheera could commute every day when he was going there… So that's it.


	8. Chapter 8

“What?! No, there’s no way!” Baloo exclaimed, shaking his head in disbelief.

“It’s true…The police just called me to warn me, in case he comes after me.”

Baloo buried his fears under a nervous grin, “Naw. Naw. It’s OK, Bagghy, I’m sure he wouldn’t…I mean, if he’s out he probably just wants to stay out. He’ll probably lay low.”

Bagheera dragged his hands across his face in an attempt to de-stress, “Baloo…It doesn’t matter. _What if?_ What if he _does_ come after me? I can’t...we can’t…I’m sorry, but Mowgli…it’s out of the question now…I can’t endanger him.”

Baloo’s eyes were sad, “I understand.”  
Bagheera let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes, wishing it was all a dream. Baloo wrapped his arm around his boyfriend and stroked his back soothingly, “It’ll be okay.” He kissed him on the forehead, “I promise.”

With uneasy hearts, the two drifted off to sleep, where the world was a safer place.

* * *

 

Bagheera took a deep breath and anxiously twisted the phone cord around his finger, clutching the phone in a death grip. When he heard a voice answer on the other end, it was his queue to begin,

“Hello! My name is Bagheera Cabot, and I’m a social worker in New York City. I’m calling regarding a family member of yours. You are Messua Reitherman, correct?”

“ _…yes…?”_ A woman’s voice encouraged him to continue.

“Yes. Um, am I correct in assuming that you’re related to a woman named Abhisneha Reitherman?”

There was a long silence before, “…Have you seen her?”

“Ah…No. She’s been missing for about ten years now, however…her son is my client.”

“Her…son?” The voice seemed flabbergasted, “She…she had a son?!”

“Yes…We don’t know whether she passed away or abandoned him or what, but a foster family found him and has raised him up until this point. They’ve asked me to hunt down his biological family, so that’s why I’m calling you.”

“My sister had a son…I have a nephew.”

“Yes. His foster family wants to know if you want to adopt him.”  
“I…wow. If…if the question were just if I wanted to adopt, that would be different…But…a long-lost nephew…”  
Bagheera patiently waited and listened.

“He should be with us. His foster family was right. My husband and I would be happy to take him.”

Bagheera let out a sigh of relief he didn’t know he’d been holding, “Wonderful! I’ll bring him down to your place, if you’d give me an address.”

* * *

 

 “Here’s the plan.” The panther explained as he tied his necktie, “We’re going to pick up Mowgli and tell him that we’re taking him home to our place, since he thinks we’re adopting him. Then…”

Baloo looked at the flower, somber, “Then we break his little heart.”

Bagheera sighed and glanced at his lover, wearing a similar expression, “We don’t have any other choice. If we’re lucky, he won’t realize what’s going on for a while.”

Baloo chuckled quietly, “He’s a smart kid. I wouldn’t count on it.”

Bagheera smiled sadly and put his hands on the larger man’s chest, “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.” 

* * *

 

“Papa Bear!” Mowgli grinned and dashed toward Baloo, jumping to be caught in a hug.

Baloo looked at Bagheera, making sure the boy couldn’t see the glum expression on his face as he kept his voice cheery, “Hey, Little Britches! How’s it going?”

“Great, Papa Bear! I can’t wait to go home.” He smiled up at the large man. Baloo smiled back, hiding his true feelings and carried the kid to his seat in their car, then got in the passenger seat and waited for Bagheera to finish talking to Mr. Wolf.

At last, things were settled and Mr. Wolf waved sadly at Mowgli in the window and he reciprocated. As much as he was upset about his family’s betrayal, they were still the only family he’d ever known and loved.

Mr. Wolf watched as the trio drove away, praying that Mowgli’s new life would be the best for him.

Mowgli enjoyed chatting with Baloo for a good half hour before he began to get suspicious. “Gee, don’t you guys live awfully far from your work?”

Bagheera didn’t comment and Baloo quickly changed the subject, but it was impossible to distract the grade-schooler again, once he’d seen the “Welcome to Pennsylvania” sign.

“Wait a second… you’re not taking me to your home at all! Where are you taking me?!”

“Now, Mowgli, it’s for the best. We’re taking you to your aunt’s house. She’s going to adopt you.”

Mowgli scowled, “I don’t want _her_ to adopt me! I want Papa Bear to!” His gaze in the rearview mirror switched from Bagheera to Baloo, but the fury remained. “Papa Bear. You lied to me!”

Baloo felt his heart ache, “Mowgli, I’m sorry. But Bagheera’s right. It’s for the best. They…they’re your family. And we’re not. Amongst other things.” He muttered that last bit under his breath but Bagheera heard it and his grip on the steering wheel tightened as he thought about those “other things”.

“I don’t care! I hate you! I hate you both! You’re liars!” He beat his little fists on the leather interior in frustration.

“Mowgli…” Bagheera started, “I’m sorry. Truly, I am...You may not believe me but I sincerely wish to adopt you, but--!”

“Then why don’t you!? I don’t understand!” He kicked the back of Bagheera’s chair and Bagheera’s eye twitched in response.

“Because, Mowgli. It’s complicated. I only want what’s best for you.”

“How do you all know what’s best for me?! What I want is what is best for me!”

Bagheera saw he was getting nowhere and gave up and Baloo, trying to ease the tension, turned the radio on to Tune Disney, assuming that’d be appropriate for children.

“I _hate_ Tune Disney! It’s for kids!”

Baloo jumped and hastily changed the station to NPR and Bagheera purred in approval while Mowgli let out a loud harrumph.

This was going to be a long drive.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the late update, and a short one at that.  
> I’m graduating and so there’s a lot of stuff going on with me right now. But! I /am/ out of school now, so I will probably be updating more often.  
> I haven’t forgotten this story! It should be finished in a few more chapters.  
> Also, Mowgli’s mother’s name is “Abhisneha” because I looked up Hindi girl names and that one meant “love” and “longing” which seemed fitting for a mother he never had. Her last name is “Reitherman” because Bruce Reitherman was the voice of Mowgli. Forgive me for this entire series’ strange mix of Hindi first names and Euro last names…  
> Mowgli’s aunt was named Messua because that is the name of Mowgli’s adoptive mother in the book.  
> Also, Messua lives in Virginia, so they’ve an 8 ½ hour drive to go.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My sincerest apologies for the late update!  
> I tried to make it a longer one to make up for it.  
> It's a busy, and unmotivated summer before my freshman year of college.  
> Please continue to read, though! There should only be about 2 more chapters?  
> Thank you for reading!

It had been three hours.

Three hours and Mowgli had not said a word. At first, it was because he was still sulking, but after about forty minutes of talk radio and boring rural landscape, he had fallen asleep. The adults, on the other hand, were wide awake; Bagheera attentive at the wheel and Baloo restless, in need of a bathroom.

After fidgeting for a good fifteen minutes, Baloo finally looked at his boyfriend with desperation in his eyes and said, "BAGGHY, I GOTTA PEE!"

Bagheera took one look at his face and burst into laughter, "Alright, Baloo. Feel free to say so any time. We've got a long drive; I knew you'd need to eventually. There's a rest area at the exit up ahead. You can go there."

True to his word, Bagheera left the freeway and parked at a rest stop. He spared a glance at the child sleeping in the back seat before getting out of the car and locking it, so he could go to the bathroom, too. If Mowgli woke and needed to go, he figured he'd just stop again. No need to wake him when it was the only time he wasn't arguing.

Bagheera walked away, not knowing that he had woken the boy up with the horn's honk of a confirmed lock. Mowgli opened his eyes and looked around, needing a moment to recall the situation. He sat up straight when he remembered. They were driving to his new family's home. He didn't want to go. They left him in the car, by himself. Slowly, an idea dawned on him…

Mowgli pulled up the lock from the inside and opened the door, jumping down to the ground and slamming the door shut. He looked around to see if anyone was watching before he took off, running towards the freeway.

I'll run away. I'll live on the streets or in the forest or something, it doesn't matter. I don't need anyone but myself. I need to get away before they catch me. I know! I'll hitchhike! I've seen it on TV before…!

The elementary student stood on the shoulder of the highway with his thumb out; unaware of how dangerous his position was, in more ways than one.

* * *

 

Kaa had a death grip on the steering wheel as he drove 10 mph over the speed limit. He had started a while after Bagheera and the others, but he wouldn't let himself stop at a rest stop until he saw the other car in front of him.

He let go of the wheel to rub his bloodshot eyes and let them drift over to look at something he noticed on the side of the road up ahead of him. Was that…the boy? Mowgli? Kaa blinked to see if the vision was real or not but the boy didn't disappear. No way…this was too easy.

He pulled off onto the shoulder about 15 feet after where he was standing and parked, assuming that the kid would understand his offer. Delighted, Mowgli dashed over to the unfamiliar car and opened the passenger door, climbing in.

"Well, hello," Kaa smiled at him.

Mowgli smiled back, "Hi! Thank you for stopping, mister." The man was frail and sickly looking, in an unsettling way, but he still seemed kind.

"Where are you off to, then?"

"Dunno. I'm off to start a new life."

Kaa chuckled, "I know exactly what you mean."

"You do?"  
"Why, yessss. In fact, I started a "new life", myself, just recently."

"How'd it go?"  
"Hm?"  
"How'd your new life work out?"

Kaa's smile disappeared, "Ah. Well…Let's just say it was going great but my old life caught up to me."

Mowgli sat and thought about what that could possibly mean before asking, "What's your name?"

"It'sssss 'Kaa'."

"I'm Mowgli."

"Well, Mowgli, I'm heading to New York City. How does that sound?"

"That's where I just left! But I guess I could still start over there."

"It's a big city."

The pair of them made small talk and were getting along swimmingly for about an hour before Kaa's phone went off.

"I'm ssssorry, Mowgli, but could you grab that for me?" He gestured to the cupholder, where his phone was rattling and Mowgli picked it up, looking at the caller ID.

"It's someone named "Shere Khan"…?"

Kaa's mood visibly changed. He tensed up and furrowed his eyebrows. Through gritted teeth he requested, "Give it here, please," and held his hand out.

Mowgli dropped the phone into the outstretched hand and sat quietly, listening to one end of the conversation, and occasionally another when the other voice grew too loud. He had a very deep, intimidating voice, this Shere Khan.

"Hello? …The kid. …Yes, the one."

Mowgli was confused. Were they talking about him?

"I don't know. They must have split up. I'm driving back. We'll be there in, like, 2 hours. You can take over from there. Bye." With that, he hung up and put the phone back in the cupholder.

That last bit didn't seem so suspicious, except that Mowgli was already thinking they were talking about him…And then Kaa said "we". Why should "Shere Khan" be expecting them both…? He began to think that he was in deep trouble. Why didn't he listen in kindergarten when they were told not to talk to strangers and not to get into cars with people they didn't know? He had to get out…

"Um….I have to pee."

Kaa glanced at him and plastered a friendly smile back on, "Okay. I'll stop at the next rest stop."

True to his word, Kaa stopped about 15 minutes later and let Mowgli run off into the small building while he waited in the car. Mowgli went inside the building, went to the bathroom, as promised, but then went out the other doors; the ones that went to the semi-trucks. Thinking that his hitchhiking attempt had been unsuccessful, he decided that a stowaway attempt was what he should do on this occasion. He saw a man heading for one and knew that he must be leaving shortly and it was now or never.

The trailer was painted with an orangutan, swinging on a vine and drinking an orange drink. In large white letters above him, it said "TANG". Mowgli vaguely recalled there being a sugary beverage of the name and assumed that the truck would be full of drink powder. As fast as he could, he went up to the trailer, lifted the hatch just barely so he could squeeze in and looked around. It was dark, but he could make out boxes, so he sat on one and waited for it to take him to his new life.

* * *

 

Bagheera and Baloo returned from the restroom and sat in their respective seats. When they turned to check on Mowgli, they were horrified to find that he wasn't there.

"Oh, no…" Bagheera could scarcely believe his eyes and he slapped his hand on his forehead.

"He…He probably just went in the bathroom after us, and we missed him! I'll go check!" Baloo flew back to the lavatory and checked under the stalls for any tiny feet that meant Mowgli was there. No luck. He ran back and met Bagheera's eyes as he approached. Baloo shook his head and climbed back in, "I have no idea where he is."

"Oh, God. He ran away. I know it. He didn't want to go, and he hates us. He ran away. And we let him. Dammit, we just left him in the car all by himself, of course. It was the perfect opportunity and he took it. God, he could be anywhere by now. He could have gotten hit! He could have been kidnapped! He could've-!" Baloo cut off his frantic rambling before he could continue.

"What's done is done. Stop being angry with yourself and start thinking forward. We need to find him. How?"  
Bagheera was quiet, letting his breathing and heart rate calm down some before answering, "We'll have to report him missing. Call the police."

"There we go, Bagghy." He kissed him on the forehead and Bagheera took his phone out of his pocket, dialing 911.

"Hello. I'd like to report an emergency. I'm a social worker and I was driving one of my children clients to his new family and we stopped at a rest stop and he's gone. We've looked everywhere, I haven't a clue where he's gone. He didn't want to go to his new family, so I think he's run away. Okay. Okay. Yes. I'm Bagheera Cabot. Yes. Thank you. Thank you so much." He hung up.

"So what are we doing?"

"They said they'll listen for any calls on him and if that they want us to come into the police department to give them more information and because if they find him, they'll have him brought there. Oh, Baloo." In despair, Bagheera put his face in his hands.

* * *

 

Louie sat behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler and was about to get going, maneuvering his way out of the rest stop parking spot to return to the highway, when he heard the loud screeching of moving metal. Was that his truck? He pushed back his baseball cap scratched his forehead, perplexed. Better safe than sorry, he got out of the cab to check his trailer.

Sure enough, the door wasn't completely shut. He could just shut it so the shipment wouldn't fall out on the road…But something was strange. How could the door open on its own? Was someone messing with him? Worse…was someone in there…?

Taking a deep breath, praying whoever could be in there didn't have a weapon, Louie grabbed the handle and opened it completely. There was in fact someone inside, but to his relief it was only a small boy about the age of ten.

"Kid…What are you doing?"  
The boy stared at him, "N…Nothing. I mean. Sorry. For hiding in your truck, but. I need to travel and…my last driver wasn't so trustworthy."  
Louie raised an eyebrow at him, "Uh…okay. How did you get in here? Is your family at this rest stop?"  
"No."

"Right. Um…Come on. Get out of there."

Reluctantly, the child left his throne of boxes and followed Louie. Louie opened the passenger side door and pointed inside. The child was hesitant, but he obeyed. Louie got into the driver's seat and said nothing, just left the parking lot and returned to the road, scatting along to his favorite jazz music.

After three songs with no conversation, Mowgli was worn down, "Um….where are you taking me?"

"To the police station."

The kid's eyes were the size of dinner plates, "I! I'm sorry! I know I shouldn't have hidden in your truck, but…! Please, please don't report me! They'll send me to juvie or something!"  
Louie watched him in his state of panic before bursting into laughter, "Don't worry, kid. I'm not having them arrest you."

"Then…why…?"

"I'm bringing you there because I'm sure someone's looking for you, and that's probably where they went, too."

Mowgli thought of Kaa and shuddered, before thinking of Bagheera and Baloo. Hopefully if anyone was looking for him it was just the latter. Wait. Did I really just think that? They're liars! They don't want me! But…they weren't creepy like Kaa…

The quiet continued as Mowgli fought a war with himself and Louie scatted along to his favorite album, Louis Prima's The Wildest!


	10. Chapter 10

                The semi-truck had to pull around to the back of the police station’s parking lot, where the squad cars were kept.  Louie hoped that, despite the illegality of it, they would be understanding of it when he explained he had to drop the boy off and that he wouldn’t be long.

                He left the car and waited for the kid to get out of the passenger seat before letting him go first to make sure that he didn’t try and run for it.  Mowgli opened the door to the police office, visibly tense as his eyes darted around to the unfamiliar faces of the cops.  He took a gulp as Louie cleared his throat and said, “Who do I see if I found a runaway?”

                The police pointed towards an office in the back and Mowgli felt more eyes gaze on him than before.  He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand awkwardly and followed after Louie as he followed their directions.

                Louie knocked on the glass window on the door and opened it when he heard a voice say, “Come in.”

                Inside of the office was a balding man about the age of fifty with a frown on his face and a tired look in his eyes and a mustache that ruffled when he sighed.  The man sat in a large desk chair, and on the desk before him was a name plaque that said “Chief Hathi”.  Next to him, in a folding chair, was a small, perky boy with dirty blond hair.  He was about seven years old.

                “Excuse me, sir.  I’m a truck driver, and I was heading down south to drop off my shipment when I heard somethin’ in the trailer.  When I went and checked, I found this fella.” He pushed Mowgli forward with a hand on his back.  “I best be goin’, but I thought I’d leave him somewhere safe.”

                Mowgli’s eyes never left the ground as he felt the older man staring at him.

                “Ahem. Yes. Yes, we’ll take care of the boy and find his family.  Thank you.  Carry on.”

                Louie nodded and tipped his hat at the man, ruffling Mowgli’s hair as he left.

                “So, son.  What’s your story? Did you run away from home?”  The chief’s voice was deep and it intimidated Mowgli. 

                Mowgli fidgeted, wringing his hands in his shirt. He still said nothing.

                “Right.  Well.  I…” Hathi mumbled something indiscernible under his breath and glanced at the boy sitting next to him.  “I, uh. Have to use the restroom.  Stay here.”

                Hathi got up to go and left his smiling son and the frowning runaway child alone.  The office was quiet for less than a minute before the younger boy spoke up, “Well, hi!”

                “…hi,” Mowgli whispered.

                “What’s your name?”

                “Mowgli.” He replied, finally looking up to meet the child’s eyes.

                “My name’s Junior!  Well, Hathi Junior, but my dad’s Hathi, so I’m just junior.”

                Mowgli nodded.

                The tiny child kicked his legs back and forth in his chair, unable to sit still, “So what’re you doing here for? Why’d that guy find you in his truck?”

                “I ran away.”

                Junior’s eyes widened and he gave that incredulous look that only a child can give, “No way! Really?!”

                “Mmhm.”  
                “Well, why? Were yer parents mean to ya?”

                “I don’t have any parents.”

                Hathi Jr. was confused, “Then who’d you run away from?”

                Mowgli shook his head.

                Just then, the door opened, and Hathi Sr.’s voice came booming, “Son? Can I talk to you a minute?”

                “Sure, pop!” Junior hopped out of his chair and waddled over to exit. Hathi shut the door behind him, leaving Mowgli in the office by himself.

                Certain that Mowgli wouldn’t be able to hear through the door, Hathi asked, “Son, did he tell you anything about himself?”   
                “His name’s Mowgli!  He said he ran away!  But he doesn’t have parents!  Who are you running away from if ya don’t have parents?”

                Hathi let out a deep sigh and his mustache quivered. Ignoring his son’s question he asked if there was anything else.  
                “Nope!”

                “Thank you, son.”

                The two returned to the office. Hathi noticed that Mowgli was still standing, having not moved from the place he was in, “Erm…Mowgli, is it? You can sit there.” He gestured to a chair sitting near the door.  Mowgli did so.

* * *

Kaa sat for forty-five minutes in the car before he realized something must have been wrong.  Unless the kid had died of dysentery, it seemed like he must’ve escaped. Kaa rubbed his sinuses to try and alleviate some of the pressure there.  With a tsk, he got out of the car and went to the bathroom to look for the boy.

When he was nowhere to be seen, the panic started to set in.   With a frustrated groan, he gave a wimpy kick to a vending machine on his way back to the car.  He sat behind the wheel and glanced over at his phone.  He dialed up Khan, holding his breath.

“What is it?”

“The kid. He’sssss….missing.” He said the last word as quietly as he could.

“WHAT?!” Khan shouted.  Kaa whimpered.

“He said he had to go to the bathroom.  I had to stop at a rest stop.  He ran off.  I’ve no idea where he is.”  _Please don’t hurt me._ He added in his head. 

Khan let out a deep sigh.  “Good going. Now I’ve got to figure out where he could possibly be.  Which rest stop are you at?”

Kaa told him and Khan looked up the nearest police station online.

“This is all assumption here.  But, when the kid ran away from Bagheera, Bagheera would’ve called the police.  The kid may be in police custody.  They’ll be reunited.  What we need to do is catch them after they’re reunited, and away from the cops.”

Kaa hummed in understanding.

“Your job—and don’t mess this one up for once!—is to go to the nearest police station and camp out with your car nearby.  Wait and watch to see if you see them leave with the kid.  Call me if you do.”

With that, Khan hung up.  Kaa shuddered.  He felt bad about betraying Bagheera like this.  Especially when he’d been such a big help.  But he had little choice.  Between the fear and the drugs, he couldn’t _not_ obey Khan.  It was too risky.

With another sigh, he turned the key in the ignition and drove off to follow his directions.

* * *

 

                Bagheera was panting as he burst through the doors of the police station.  “Excuse me!  I’m here because I reported a missing child over the phone and they told me to come here!”   
                Baloo came behind him shortly, huffing and puffing.

                An officer came over to the two of them and greeted them before informing them, “Well, you’re in luck.  Seems a runaway child was just dropped off.  Might be the one you’re looking for.”

                Baloo let out a chuckle of relief and Bagheera smiled, rubbing his wet eyes to wipe away the tear that hadn’t fallen just yet.

                “Oh, wonderful!”

                “What’s the child’s name and could you give a description, please?”

                “His name is Mowgli.” Bagheera spat out, “He’s ten years old. Indian. Black hair in a sort of bob-cut…?”

                The officer smiled and said, “That’d be him.”

                “Oh, thank goodness.” Bagheera was trembling with joy. 

                After clearing up his relationship to Mowgli and providing proof of his occupation and that Mowgli was a client, Bagheera and Baloo were led to the chief’s office.  The officer who’d been helping them opened the door and let them inside.  Hathi nodded in acknowledgment and Mowgli slowly turned his head and noticed them. 

                Before he had any time to react, Bagheera had picked him up and was holding him in a tight hug. “Oh, Mowgli, we were scared to death.  Are you all right?  What happened?”  

                Mowgli was completely shocked by Bagheera’s display of affection.  He thought Baloo was the only one who cared about him, not Bagheera.  As he thought this, Baloo reached out and ruffled Mowgli’s hair, smiling at the boy.  _Why did I leave these two?  I feel so safe with them…_

                “Well?  Mowgli?  What on earth happened?” Bagheera leaned back to look Mowgli in the eye.

                The child shrugged, “Well…I woke up and I ran away…” He looked away, ashamed. “Um, and I tried hitchhiking…”  Bagheera sharply inhaled his breath, clearly nervous about the idea alone.  “And a guy stopped and picked me up, and he seemed nice and we were driving for a while, but then somebody called him and it sounded like he was talking about me and then he was kinda mad for the rest of the ride, so I said I had to go to the bathroom so he stopped at a rest stop and I went in but then out the back way so the trucks were there and I got in one and the driver found me and took me here, and that’s what happened.”  Mowgli blinked, having finished his story in a long run-on sentence the way children are prone to do.

                “A man picked you up and it seemed like he was talking about you on the phone?”

                “Yeah, like the guy on the other end already knew who I was.  It was weird.”

                “Did he tell you his name?”

                “His name was Kaa.  And the guy on the phone was… Shere Khan, or something like that?” Bagheera’s eyes widened and he paled.  He held Mowgli tighter, wishing that he hadn’t dragged an innocent child into this mess. 

Baloo came up and rubbed Bagheera’s back, “Guess you made the right call, Bagghy.”

“I…I wish I was wrong,” Bagheera bit his lip to keep himself from crying, “And Kaa…I can’t believe it…I really thought he’d changed.  We were making such progress… We were practically friends and I just…I trusted him and let him into my life, and look at what could have happened.”

Just then, someone cleared their throat deeply.  “Ahem.  Excuse me,” Hathi’s booming voice began, “What is going on here?  I understand you’re this child’s caretaker, but what’s the problem here?”

Bagheera put Mowgli back down but kept his hand on his shoulder.  He was still shaken up and needed that bit of contact to know that Mowgli was here with him, and safe. 

“The man on the phone.  He’s an escaped prisoner.  One whom I have a personal history with.”  At this, Mowgli’s jaw dropped and he stared up at his social worker with eyes filled with awe.   “I’m the reason he was put in jail.   He must be after revenge.  He must have somehow heard about Mowgli through one of my other clients, Kaa, the one who picked him up.”

Mowgli furrowed his brows, trying to piece all of it together. 

“What was the name of this escaped prisoner?”  Hathi shifted over to his computer to do a search.

“Shere Khan.”

* * *

Kaa parked a few blocks away from the police department.  He pulled up the collar of his shirt and sunk low in his seat to try and make himself less recognizable.  He stared at the doors, rarely blinking.  Watching and waiting for his prey.

It seemed like an hour had passed when it really had only been about 15 minutes, but finally, two men and a child walked out.  He couldn’t quite make out their faces, but from their hair and body types and the serendipity of it all, he was pretty sure he had them.

Quickly, he drove off, to avoid being seen, calling Khan as he did.

* * *

The trio hopped back into their car, ready to continue their journey after that hectic adventure. 

“Mowgli,” Bagheera smiled widely, “Pick whichever radio station you please.”

Mowgli stared at him for a bit before asking rather than answering, “How do you know those guys?”

Bagheera smiled pleasantly, trying to cover up the uneasiness he was feeling inside.  Baloo reached out to hold his hand and he accepted. “What guys?”

“The one who picked me up, and the guy he was on the phone with.”

Bagheera’s smile disappeared fast.  “Well.  The man on the phone and I used to be very…close.  And then one day, he hurt me very badly.  If it weren’t for Baloo,” he looked at his lover with watery eyes, “He would have hurt me much more.  I might not even be here today, if not for him.”  Baloo squeezed his hand.

“What about the other guy?”

“He’s a friend of the one on the phone.  The guy on the phone went to jail years ago.  The one who drove you became a client of mine and I thought he had changed, but apparently not.”

Mowgli shifted, “He seemed nice.  Just a bit creepy.  At first, anyway.  Til he got that call.”

Bagheera smiled sadly, “He’s a nice fellow.  He just…loses himself easily.  And sometimes when he loses himself he ends up doing very bad things.”

“So….how did they know about me?”

“That.  Is a good question.” Bagheera replied, “I truly have no idea.  But I believe they are after you because they want to hurt me more.”

“Why would getting me hurt you?”

“Mowgli, you’re a very special child.  I care about you a lot.  I just want what’s best for you.  If something were to happen to you, I’d be very upset.”

Mowgli blushed and looked out the window. With a chuckle, Bagheera started the engine and they were back on their way.

They weren’t on the highway for long before Mowgli spoke up, “Umm…I kinda feel weird saying this, since I faked it earlier, but I hafta go to the bathroom.”

Bagheera and Baloo glanced at each other, a bit distrusting of the kid.

“We’ll stop at the next rest stop.” 

As the next one came up, Bagheera pulled into it and parked. 

“We’ll go in, too.” Bagheera said.  All three of them left the car and went into the restroom, unaware that they were being watched.

* * *

Khan sat in his car, parked.  Sunglasses on.  Watching, looking at the cars that entered the parking lot.  It was a long shot, but it was all he had.  The kid had run from Kaa with the excuse of using the bathroom.  He probably didn’t actually go.  As long as he hadn’t gone at the police station, the kid would be up for a bathroom break soon.  Hopefully, he’d realize it right away and it would be this first stop after the police station.  Hopefully all this waiting wouldn’t be for nothing. 

At last, he recognized the passenger as they drove past.  _That fucking bear._ He growled as he watched his ex, the bear, and the kid walk into the building.  After a few minutes, he left his car and followed them. 

Once he was inside the men’s room, he immediately locked the door before going around the corner to where the stalls and urinals were.  Bagheera was washing his hands and humming peacefully.  Baloo and the kid must’ve been in the stalls because they were nowhere to be seen.  While Bagheera’s head was down, looking at his sudsy hands, Khan snuck up behind him.  Bagheera didn’t look up at the footsteps.  He didn’t look up until he felt someone’s eyes boring into his back.  Then he glanced up at his reflection in the mirror and saw his worst nightmares looking back at him with a toothy grin.

“Long time no see.”

Bagheera lost the ability to make any noise.  He couldn’t scream.  He was too scared.  Too preoccupied reliving what happened the last time this man was this close to him.  He started hyperventilating and Khan chuckled, wrapping his arm around in front of the shorter man and putting his switchblade knife to his former lover’s throat.

Bagheera gulped and tears were streaming down his face.  He closed his eyes, trying to pretend this wasn’t happening, but when he shut them all he saw was the events that went so similarly years ago.

Bagheera was brought out of his memories with the sound of a toilet flushing and Mowgli walked out of the first stall.  Khan turned himself and Bagheera to face him.  Mowgli stepped back, horrified. 

“What?! What’re you-!? Who are you?”

“I’m Shere Khan, dear boy.”

Mowgli took another step back.

“Are you afraid, boy?”

In spite of his common sense, Mowgli retorted, “Of course not!  Why would I be afraid of someone like you!?”

“Because I hold Bagheera’s life in my hands,” Khan pressed the knife into Bagheera’s skin, drawing blood.  Bagheera winced.  Khan chuckled and licked his ear before commenting, “I see last time I did this has left a mark.”  He was admiring the scars on his neck.  “Now.  Where’s that dumb old bear?”

Bagheera started crying harder, terrified that Baloo would end up being killed and it would all be Bagheera’s fault for loving him back and getting him involved in this whole situation.

“Right here, Khannie,” Baloo popped out of the last stall with a furious look on his face. 

Khan smiled even wider, if it were possible, and stared at Baloo. “I heard you two are together now.”

“That’s right.”

Khan glared at him, “I always told him you were after him, but he didn’t listen to me.  But you see, you’ve made me mad, Baloo.  You’ve touched what’s mine.”  To illustrate his possession of Bagheera, he moved his free hand down his front sensually.  Before he could continue saying anything else, his knees buckled, and he ended up dropping Bagheera in surprise.  He turned around to look at Mowgli, who had been the cause of it as he stood behind the much-taller man and bent his knees into the back of Khan’s.

“Why, you…” He growled and went for Mowgli, reaching out with one arm and jabbing the air threateningly with the other.  Mowgli avoided both of the hands and was just barely caught when Baloo held Khan back with his strong arms.

Khan flailed and kicked as Bagheera shouted, “Mowgli! Run! Call the police!”

Mowgli nodded and dashed away, unlocking the bathroom door and running out to the nearest person he could find to borrow their cellphone.

Just as Bagheera was regaining his composure, Khan got the one-up on Baloo.  With a shriek of, “I’ll kill you for this!” Khan spun around and pushed Baloo to the ground, switching his slicing tactic to a stabbing one.  He stabbed him in the chest, pulling the blade out to do it again, when Bagheera grabbed him by the shirt and swung him around, spraying him in the eyes with a mace bottle he kept on his keyring. 

Khan stumbled back and screamed, rubbing his eyes.  Bagheera was livid.  He grabbed Khan by the collar and did the only thing he could think of to overpower the man long enough for police to arrive.  He slammed the larger man against the wall and smashed his head into it.  Khan, likely concussed, lost consciousness and fell to the ground in a heap.  Bagheera kicked the knife across the room.

As soon as he was certain Khan was out, Bagheera rushed over to Baloo.

“Baloo!  Baloo, are you all right?”

Baloo coughed and rasped, “I’ll be okay,” He tried to laugh but ended up coughing again.  Bagheera looked at the stab wound and panicked. 

                “Stop talking.  I think you have a punctured lung.”  He broke down sobbing, “Oh, Baloo.  I love you so much.  Please, be okay.”

                “I told ya, I’m _fine_.” Bagheera shushed him.  After that, they heard the sirens of police cars and an ambulance heading towards them.  In under five minutes, four cops had entered, along with a medical team. 

                The medical team gave Bagheera and Mowgli shock blankets and went to Bagheera to ask him about what happened to Khan and Baloo both.  He told them of the stabbing and the pepper spray/head trauma combo and that he suspected a punctured wound and a concussion.  The team nodded and carefully moved each of them onto gurneys. 

                One of the cops, whose name tag said “Buzzie”, went over to the passed out Khan and moved his arms, cuffing them together, then moving to do the same to his legs.  He grumbled about not being able to cuff his hands behind his back because the medical team wouldn’t let him move someone with a possible head or neck injury so carelessly.

                Another cop, whose nametag said “Flaps” was talking to Mowgli to hear his side of the story.  Frantically, he wrote down notes for the police report.

                The cop named “Ziggy” spoke to Bagheera, getting the story from him, including the bits Mowgli missed from when he ran off.

                When Bagheera said his name, officer “Dizzy” interjected loudly, “Hey! You’re the one in Khan’s file.  The one he tried to…” Realizing it was tasteless he continued, “He hated you that much? That he broke out just to mess with you some more?”

                Bagheera clutched the shock blanket tightly and shrugged, “It appears so.”

                “Well, don’t you worry.  After his escape, he’ll be put in a prison with even more uptight security.  And after this attempted murder here, he’ll be given even more time.”

                Bagheera’s lip trembled at “attempted murder” and its implications that Baloo may not survive.  Ziggy, noticing, quickly added, “Don’t worry! Our medical team is great. Mr. Harris should be fine.”

                Bagheera nodded solemnly and prayed that he was right.

* * *

A week later, Bagheera was reluctantly letting Baloo join their second? Or was it third? Attempt at returning Mowgli to his birth family.  Baloo had indeed had a punctured lung, but luckily was given emergency care fast enough that he was fine, save some pain medicine and antibiotics while he healed.

                All of their police statements were to be used as evidence to add to Khan’s sentence while he was locked away in a higher security prison.

                Kaa also had been caught and was receiving less time for cooperating with the police and spilling everything.  The police said it was rare to see a criminal express so much concern for the victims of his crime and to be so polite and apologetic, all the while mortified.

                Anyhow, the three finally arrived in Virginia.  Bagheera apologized profusely to Messua and she was very understanding and visibly fretting as she eyed the conspicuous bandage covering the wound on his neck.

                In honor of Mowgli returning to their family, Messua and her husband were holding a Reitherman family reunion.  Immediately, Mowgli went from having no family to having more than he could count.  The boy was a bit overwhelmed, though, as so many adults flocked around him saying things like, “You look so much like your mother,” and “It’s so great to finally meet you.”  Mowgli clung to Baloo apprehensively. 

                That was, until a young girl about his age walked past.  She went over to the punch bowl and scooped herself some and stood there sipping at it and staring at him.  Mowgli was completely captured by her presence.  “Auntie?”

                “Yes, dear?” Messua looked over at Mowgli, interrupting her conversation with Bagheera.

                “Who’s that girl?”

                “Oh, honey, that’s Shanti.  She’s my husband’s niece.  She’s not a Reitherman, but she happened to be visiting anyway, so she was welcome to join in on the party.

                “So…I’m not related to her?”

                “No, sweetie.”  Messua smiled broadly, understanding his motives.

                Just then, Shanti loosened her hand holding the red solo cup a bit and let her drink fall to the ground.  She glanced at it, acting surprised and unsure of what to do next.

                Mowgli hurriedly went over and grabbed her a new cup, filling it up with punch and offering it to her.  She picked it up and smiled at him and he flushed, completely taken with her.

                “She did that on purpose.”  Baloo was sour about having the boy who had been so attached to him until a few seconds ago rush off to get a girl.

                “Of course she did.” Messua and Bagheera said in unison, smiling at Baloo.

                Baloo grumbled and Bagheera put an arm behind his back, brushing up against his side in a one-arm hug. The two of them stayed like that a while before deeming it time to leave.  They said their last farewells to Mowgli.  Many hugs and email addresses and phone numbers were exchanged before they headed for the car.

                “I think Mowgli will do just fine here.” Bagheera smiled fondly, “Though I admit, I’ll miss the boy.”

                “You’re telling me.” Baloo rubbed the back of his head, awkward about how to deal with his feelings of loneliness without the kid.  Suddenly he remembered something.

                “Oh, Bagheera.”

                “Yes?” He smiled up at him.

                Baloo pulled a small, black velvet box out of his pocket and got down on one knee.

                “Bagheera…you never _did_ ask, so I thought I would,” He opened the box and revealed a simple white gold ring,  “Will you marry me?”

                Bagheera was speechless.  _It was so sudden.  And here, of all places, he asked? Oh, but who cares?_

                “Of course!” Bagheera pounced on him, wrapping his arms around his neck and kissing him. “And Baloo?”

                “Hmm?” Baloo asked in between kisses.

                “Maybe…we could adopt, too.”

                Baloo’s half-lidded eyes opened fully and excitedly, he asked, “You mean it?!”

                “Yes, Baloo.  I mean it.”

                Eventually the newly engaged couple got back into the car and started their way back toward New York.  But first, it was time to just be happy in each other’s arms.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would just like to give my most sincere apologies to those of you who waited so long for an update. I’m so very sorry. As a reader, I understand how frustrating that can be. My life’s been very busy, and I hadn’t updated because it was my first semester of college and I was getting adjusted and trying to get all my work done and get enough sleep and yeah, it was just very stressful…  
> But here it is, finally! It’s extra long, and this is the end. I apologize for the cliché of having one of the main couple stabbed, but I’m trying to keep it as close to the movie as possible, so I felt it was necessary for Baloo to be badly injured by Khan. Also, kudos if you recognize the four cops’ names as the vultures, because I had to look it up cuz I had no idea. I still don’t know which one is which…  
> No regrets about the cliché proposal though because hurray for fluff.   
> Also, if people show interest and I feel inspired enough, I might write a bonus chapter or something about Kaa’s return from jail. I feel like he and Bagheera would have a lot of issues that they need to resolve. I feel like they both want to be friends but Bagheera can’t trust Kaa, especially now, and Kaa doesn’t feel like he’s a good enough person to try and bother Bagheera by making amends or making friends…  
> Just a thought. Comment if you’d be interested in that.  
>  I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.  
> Thank you for reading.  
> ~secretlyshipping


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